


Right Here with You Forever

by SeaTurtleSadboy



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Dad Gueira, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Lio Fotia is mentioned but does not appear, Love Confessions, M/M, Mild shenanigans, Mutual Pining, Rated T for Mild Language, Single Dad AU, Some Humor, chase scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 08:08:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28542303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeaTurtleSadboy/pseuds/SeaTurtleSadboy
Summary: Gueira has never had big dreams for himself. And for the past few years, he's dedicated himself to making sure his son Lio has the best life he can possibly have. But now Lio's in school, and Gueira is left alone with Meis at the record store all day, every day. When Meis thinks it's time for their business relationship to progress to the next level, Gueira is forced to face something he's been running away from for a long time.
Relationships: Gueira/Meis (Promare)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 16





	Right Here with You Forever

**Author's Note:**

> I just couldn't leave them alone without letting them get together. Lio does not appear here, so there isn't much family fluff. But I still made the title a line from Lio's favorite song from the last fic, Saturday City by Blood Command (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sOID2XxXq0). I thought about taking a line from an Orville Peck song, since he's mentioned here, but I couldn't pick just one. 
> 
> (Though, and this is not related to the fic at all, I think Drive Me, Crazy has big GueiMei energy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3JOEeG5PM4)

It was late afternoon in the record store. The warm light of late August reflected off the other buildings in the city, streaming through front of the shop. It made puzzle pieces on the floor through the posters lining the windows, like a patchwork quilt on faded carpet. The afternoon had been slow so far, so both the quilt and the atmosphere had been still for some time.

Gueira stood in the aisle, shelving some new releases. He listened to the music coming from the front of the shop. It was Meis’ hour to DJ, and he’d been looping Orville Peck’s latest album. The cowboy’s deep crooning and slow ballads were barely audible where he stood, with the air conditioner rumbling in the rear of the store. But Meis had been playing it often enough that he was starting to pick up on the beats, even over the white noise. 

Gueira looked at his boss, coworker and best friend, who was behind the register looking over finances on his computer. He had his pinky nail between his teeth, nibbling at the tip in concentration. His other hand fiddled with the sleeve of his black western shirt. Just looking at him made Gueira realize his jaw had been locked in place for who knows how long, and he paused in reorganizing the records to loosen up. 

”You know, when Lio started school, I thought I was gonna have tons of free time here at the shop. I figured I’d reorganize in back, finally put shit away that’s been sitting out for ages…” Gueira said. “But I haven’t had time to do much more than normal. There’s always something going on right in front of me that sucks all my time away.”

“Such is the nature of our capitalist hellscape,” Meis said, not looking up from his screen. “Take out one task and several others rush to fill its place.”

Gueira bent backward, stretching his back. “Good to hear that kind of optimism coming out of the owner of the place,” he groaned.

“Sorry,” Meis said. “Hard to think positive when I’m frying my brain on Excel over here.”

“I thought you were good at that stuff,” Gueira said, gleefully abandoning his sorting to wander over to Meis. He rested his elbow on the counter and tried to peer around at the computer from the customer side.

“I am,” He sighed. “It’s clearly been a long day. For some reason these numbers just aren’t adding up right, and I can’t figure out why.” Meis tilted the computer screen so Gueira could see better and then rested his own elbow on the counter beside him. Their fingers brushed just slightly when Meis leaned in to point at the screen, and Gueira stiffened. “Thyma’s calculations are here. But every time I add the numbers up, I get a completely different total, for some reason. Please look at this and tell me if I’m going nuts.”

“Obviously you are if you’re asking me to look at the finances. I haven’t touched Excel since high school physics,” Gueira half-joked. He was still focused on Meis beside him. He could smell Meis’ shampoo again, that half-smokey, half-fresh scent that seemed to be haunting him lately. Meis huffed.

“Oh please, you can’t pull that shit with me. I need a second pair of eyes, and despite your sour attitude, I know there’s a brain behind yours.” Meis poked Gueira in the forehead without even turning to look at him. Gueira scrunched up his face.

“Goddamn, fine. Give me your calculator,” Gueira ordered. Meis obliged, passing his Texas Instruments (heh. hehheheh.) to the other.Gueira scanned the screen and punched in what he saw. He frowned. His number didn’t match Thyma’s either. But Thyma’s numbers had to be right; it was her whole job to count everything up. He stared down each number, each label, and punched everything in in a slightly different manner two more times before he caught it.

“Oh, I got it!” Gueira exclaimed. He leaned in closer to Meis and pointed at the screen. “Here, look. See where it says expenditures for bills? There’s supposed to be that credit because you double-paid electricity last time, right? But we decided to reallocate the refund toward the repairs we had to do on the bathroom and toward regular inventory costs, but we haven’t sent the check over to the plumber. So right now the account is still showing those funds. I think Thyma automatically included the difference.” He showed Meis the numbers on the calculator to prove his theory. Meis nodded thoughtfully along with him and exhaled at the end of his explanation.

“Thank god. You’re a lifesaver. I’ve been staring at this for fifteen minutes and going absolutely nowhere,” Meis leaned back. Gueira raised himself on the counter and grinned at Meis’ now-lax posture. 

“No problem. You’re just working your brain too hard. Take a breather!” Gueira knocked at the crown of Meis’ head. Meis pulled away to defend his hair.

“Weren’t you just telling me how you don’t have any chill time at work because there’s always something to do?” Meis said. “Try taking a break yourself, you hypocrite.”

“Pssh! Apples and oranges. You do, like, three times as much as I do. You own the place. There’s a billion things you have to think about that I don’t. Like this financial shit,” Gueira waved his hand around. “I just do the everyday stuff.”

“That’s important, stupid,” Meis tried and failed to smack Gueira’s hand out of the air. “We wouldn’t have a store if you weren’t running it every day. I wouldn’t be able to do all of this by myself.”

“You did before I got here,” Gueira said.

“I was open for a month before you got here. And I was making my friends and family help way more. You’ve basically been here since the beginning too. Don’t sell yourself short, you numbnut.” 

“Maybe I’d do it less if you stopped calling me names, doofus,” Gueira scoffed. Meis stuck his tongue out at him, and Gueira couldn’t help but cackle.

After a moment, Meis continued.

“I’m not kidding though. I was actually thinking—“

“Uh oh.”

“Shut up,” Meis smiled. “I have to do the annual reports soon on the business. It’s just the thing we send in to the state so they know the basics of the business. And I was thinking, maybe I should add your name.”

“I have no idea what that means,” Gueira said before he even processed it. He continued to think out loud. “Like putting me on the official record? I’m on the books, aren’t I?”

“Like making you a member of the business. Like an owner,” Meis explained.

“What?” Gueira blinked, this time not for lack of understanding.

“It’s not like I’d be transferring ownership completely, I’d still be on it. If you wanted to, it could just be in name only,” Meis said quickly, as though to calm him down. “But I dunno. You’re a big part of this place; the first face people see when they come in. They like you and they know you. You know this place inside and out. It’s just as much yours as it is mine. We’d just be making it official.”

Gueira’s mouth opened and closed a few times. Finally, he stuttered, “You really want me to _own_ this place with you? Like, business partners?”

“Yeah,” Meis shrugged without meeting Gueira’s eyes. “I mean, I think you should be. It makes sense.”

“Well fuck. Me, a business owner?” Gueira’s mouth curled up at the edges.

Something swelled in Gueira’s chest. Never, in his entire life, did he ever think he would own a business. He never had dreams like that. When he was a kid, he lived in his own fantasy world. As he got older, and the world grew more clear and visibly cold, he felt lost, which eventually turned to jadedness. He spent his first years of young adulthood thinking only of the present. Soon enough, he had Lio, and he refocused all his energy to his newborn son. He dedicated himself to making sure Lio could get to dream harder, and achieve more, than he ever had. Gueira might not have a future, but he’d walk through fire to build Lio’s.

And then, here was Meis. Beautiful, angelic Meis, who believed in him and trusted him. He said that Gueira had put in the work, that he had seen how Gueira had given his whole self to this place. He said that he saw Gueira as an equal, as a competent person he would be proud to own a business with. Meis wanted him. Gueira was over the moon. Meis wanted _him_.

But… 

Meis wanted him as a _business_ partner.

Gueira felt himself deflate as quickly as he’d risen. 

Meis wasn’t asking for _that_ kind of partnership. The one Gueira really wanted.

Meis wanted to keep _working_ with him. And Gueira knew he should be happy. He should be grateful for everything that Meis had given him so far, and for the chance Meis offered now. 

There was a good future lined up for him in this. This job paid the bills, and Meis was above-average about benefits. Lio liked it at the shop — he’d basically been raised there. And Gueira and Meis would get to spend every day together, for years. Gueira could be close to Meis, between shelves of records and CDs and posters on the walls. He’d get to watch Meis scribbling lyrics on napkins during lunch and teaching local kids their first chords in the afternoon. He’d get to watch Meis’ pleased grin when a customer liked his recommendation. Or the mischievous glint when the real estate agents next door complained about the noise, and he turned the speakers up. 

But his stupid heart still wanted more. He didn’t just want to watch Meis; he wanted to be _with_ Meis. And as much as Meis trusted him and liked him, he didn’t want him. Not the same way.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” the words floated in the air beside Gueira’s head. After a moment, he realized he was the one who said them. His mouth kept moving, each word a sinking weight in his stomach. “I don’t know anything about running a business. And you were the one who started this place. I don’t feel right coming in later and acting like I own the place.”

“You could own the place, with the way you already act,” Meis held his arms and leaned on the counter. The expression on his face was still encouraging, even with his teasing tone. “You’re here every day. You run the shop so I can do part-time lessons. You get the business involved in the community. You help me keep track of the finances. You’ve done the overtime.”

“It’s still not as much as what you do,” Gueira avoided eye contact, leaning backward. Meis noticed the gesture and frowned. For a moment, the only noise was the slow pluck of bass guitar strings over the speakers. 

“So what? I know you have other responsibilities, so I don’t expect you to do the same shit I do. Taking care of Lio’s infinitely more important. But you’re here, all the time, and you know what you’re doing, and you care about this place. I think you should be recognized for that.”

“Yeah, but you know—“ Gueira struggled to come up with the words, frustrated. “This place was your whole goal— or whatever. I just joined up because I needed the stable work. It’s not like I have the same kind of passion for the music that you do, or whatever. You know. I don’t play music; I just listen.” Meis raised an eyebrow.

“Well, that’s a dumb excuse. You don’t need technical music knowledge to have a valuable opinion about music. Anyone who gets a recommendation from you leaves happy.” He crossed his arms. “Why don’t you give me an answer that makes sense.”

Gueira was thankful for the counter still between them as he felt his knees quake. If it hadn’t been there, Meis would have definitely been glowering over him, and Gueira didn’t know if he could take that right now.

“Look — I just can’t,” Gueira barked suddenly, like a cornered dog. “I said I don’t wanna co-own the shop, and it’s not like you can make me, so shut up with your third degree and get off my back!” He grit his teeth, already feeling the regret of his raised voice. He knew he wasn’t articulating very well; he always struggled with words when he was upset.

But Meis knew that. He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips.

“I can tell you’re not telling me something. Spit it out.” His command rumbled in the air between them.

Gueira’s angry tone barely skirted a nervous shriek. “I don’t have to tell you anything!” Meis drew up to his full height.

“You said you want me to be the boss? So, I’m telling you, _as your boss_ , to start talking,” Meis growled, jabbing his pointer finger into the counter.

“That’s not fair. That’s a boss-employee confidentiality issue!” Gueira squeaked, taking a step back.

“What? That’s not a thing,” Meis’ genuine confusion cut through his authoritative manner. It could have been cute, were Gueira not fearing for his life.

“Well… It is now!” Gueira said. Then he turned around and bolted for the back of the store.

“Gueira!” Meis screeched behind him, and Gueira heard the distinct sound of Meis’ cowboy boots dashing after him from behind the counter. “You’re being weird! What’s going on?!”

“Oh man, oh shit,” Gueira mumbled as he booked it down the aisle. Meis was _chasing_ him. He scrambled away as fast as he could. When Gueira started running out of aisle, he made a sharp turn at the end and headed down the next aisle over — the indie section. Meis wouldn’t be able to catch up to him after the turn, and the aisles were too long for Meis to be able to double back and grab him. Gueira could make an escape out of the front door when Meis struggled to turn the corner. Unfortunately, Meis had a way of doing the impossible.

“Oh no you don’t!” Meis called. Suddenly, he appeared right behind Gueira.

“Jesus christ!” Gueira shrieked and picked up the pace. “Did you just _jump_ the fucking divider??”

“Long legs, bitch!” Meis followed right after. 

Gueira tried to think over the sound of his own huffing and puffing. If he tried the front now, Meis would be too close behind him. He’d grab Gueira as he pulled the door open.Maybe Meis wouldn’t be able to pull off a jump like that again, and Gueira could do the same thing but with the back door? But then he’d have to pass through the storage area… 

His leg zinged with the threat of a cramp. God, he was out of shape. 

“Gueira!” Meis raged, and Gueira heard the sounds of a new surge of energy pounding out in every footfall behind him. Gueira tried to keep pace as he rounded the aisle back by the counter again, but he could sense Meis closing in. “Give up!” Meis ground out. “I’m faster than you!”

Gueira blinked. Meis _was_ faster than him. They both knew that. Meis just usually had the good humor to let Gueira (and Lio) win any playful races. However, Gueira also knew that those powerful legs constituted all the muscle mass in Meis’ body. Even with his wide shoulders, Meis had limited upper arm strength. Meanwhile, Gueira had been carrying boxes of records around every day for four years.

Instead of trying to round the corner at the end of the isle, Gueira whipped around and surged forward, head-on with Meis. He watched Meis’ eyes widen before Gueira grabbed him by the shoulders and tackled him into the ground. 

“You’re right; you are faster. But I’m stronger!” Gueira grinned at last. Meis struggled against him, gripping Gueira’s shoulders and trying to push him off. Gueira doubled down on his weight, and locked his legs over Meis’ so he couldn’t kick up. 

“You jerk!” Meis said, shoving his forearms into Gueira’s chest. He managed to lift Gueira further away, but Meis wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. As soon as Meis would try to use his arms to stand up, Gueira’d just come crashing back down on top of him. Meis knew this too, so he instead used the position as an opportunity to knock Gueira around as much as he could.

(Of course, Gueira thought fondly, he could see it wasn’t really to hurt him. Despite the real fear that spurred Gueira to run in the first place, he knew they’d never really try to hurt each other. Even if Meis’ bony arms dug into his chest a little harder than he’d like.)

Still, Meis grunted in frustration. He was wearing himself out, and Gueira was still on top. Gueira smirked down at the other man.

“Ready to call it quits? I think we can both say I won fair and square.”

“Fair and square? You’re a dirty cheater, with your stupid knobby-knees digging into my legs.”

“Your insults can’t hurt me! And now, neither can your legs,” Gueira laughed.

At last, Meis huffed and crossed his arms beneath Gueira.

“Fine, don’t tell me why you’re being cagey. Doesn’t matter to me.” Meis kept his eyes trained on the shelves beside them. Gueira started to grin at Meis’ look of defeat. God, Meis was so cute. He thought of how close they were, Meis’ lip jutted in the slightest pout. Gueira wanted to close that distance between them more than anything.

Still refusing to face Gueira, Meis spoke again, “But at least tell me nothing’s wrong.”

“Huh?” Gueira stared down at Meis, startled from his thoughts. “What do you mean?”

“Like, here at the shop. All your reasons for not wanting to be part of the business with me. I get them, but they’re obviously not what’s bothering you.” Meis huffed again, somewhat shakily. Then he whipped his head to face Gueira. “You’re not dying, right? You’re legally obligated to tell me if you are.”

“You know I hate the law,” Gueira half-teased out of habit. Still, Meis’ honest concern had him shaken. “But no.”

“And Lio’s okay, right?” Meis pressed.

“Lio’s fine. We’re both fine. I swear; scout’s honor,” Gueira promised, worry creeping into his own expression.

“Okay… Okay, good,” Meis exhaled long and slow. “Just making sure.” 

Meis dropped his gaze again, and a flush of embarrassment grew on his face. He probably felt like he’d been overreacting. Gueira could relate right about now.

“You can get off me, by the way. I’m done playing tag, or whatever,” Meis said.

Gueira scrambled off his friend as quickly as he could. Instead of getting up, though, Gueira sat cross-legged on the ground. Meis sat up slowly, still avoiding Gueira’s stare. He held his hand on the back of his neck. He looked ashamed. Inside Gueira, the guilt of worrying Meis began to outweigh his fear of Meis seeing through him.

“You know, I would tell you if something like that was going on,” Gueira said, as gently as he could. “You’d be the first person I’d tell.”

“Ugh, whatever,” Meis threw up his hands as though it wasn’t a big deal. “Ignore me. My stupid brain always has to go to the worst case scenario. —You know.”

“Yeah, I know,” Gueira repeated. He looked down. Neither of them made a move to get up.

“I’m not planning on leaving either, if that was your brain’s next worry. I like it here.” Gueira flushed and quickly undercut the sentiment with a, “Plus, you know, I wouldn’t walk out on you after you made a big speech about how important I am. I’m not ungrateful.”

“…Good.” Meis still avoided looking at him, but Gueira watched his shoulders loosen. 

For a moment, they both sat there, just beyond the sun’s reach. The place where the light touched the display in front of them smelled like warm plastic. He thought of running his fingers over the CD cases, the thin sheet covering those satisfying ridges. But he was frozen, waiting for a sign from Meis that it was okay to move. But Meis’ gaze lingered on the patches of light on the floor. 

Finally Meis said, “I’m glad that you like it here. Even if you don’t wanna be an owner —that’s fine. But I’d miss you if you left.”

Gueira filled with distorted elation. His ears closed off as his head screamed, _I miss you when you’re gone, too_. He curled his fingers, which were itching to do something, to hold something. It took every brain cell he had not to smile too wide. Over the sound of his own mind, and with very little input from said mind, Gueira said, “Do you want to know why I said I didn’t wanna co-own the shop with you?”

“Obviously,” Meis smiled, finally meeting eyes again.

“I was thinking about what I wanted in life, I guess,” Gueira exhaled. “I never had the option to think about what I wanted before. It was always what I needed, or what Lio needed. But now I have options. And I can choose what path I want to go down. Not even because of what I need to do, but because of what I want to do. It’s crazy, and, honestly, kinda freaky.” Gueira hugged his knees as Meis opened his posture at last.

“I could see how that could mess you up,” Meis said. He looked at Gueira with genuine empathy beneath his cool exterior. “And as scary as it might be to be to have to make all these choices on your own, I want you to know that you are in control here. When I’m chasing you around after you tell me ‘no,’ I’m not trying to remove your options and pressure you. I just didn’t want you turning ownership down because you didn’t think you could do it. Because I know you can.”

“No, I know, I believe you,” Gueira said. “I’m very familiar with you punching the self-doubt out of me. I probably still have bruises from when you convinced me to go backstage with you at that Rage Against The Machine concert.”

“And they signed your album, and they took a picture with Lio, so I’d say it’s worth it.”

“Are you kidding me? I’d frame those bruises if I could,” Gueira laughed. “But that’s why I panicked a little. Suddenly I had to think about what I wanted. Like, with my life. Because thanks to you, I have options now.”

“Do you know what you want?” Meis asked, leaning back on his hands. Gueira searched Meis’ eyes. He remembered the hopeful smile on Meis' face as he offered him partnership. He thought of Meis chasing him, full of fear that Gueira was going through something beyond his sight. He looked at Meis now, full of anticipation but loyal anyway. Gueira looked down at the floor.

“Yeah, actually. It’s just scary to say out loud.”

“What, even to me? I still scare you after all this time?” Meis half-joked.

“Maybe a little,” Gueira exhaled. 

“Well… you don’t have to be scared with me,” Meis said, firmly placing his hand onto Gueira’s shoulder. “I’m behind you no matter what. Seriously. You could tell me you want to boot me out, take over the record store, and turn it into an F.Y.E. And I’d be kinda disappointed, but if it’s what you really wanted, I’d help you get it. So whenever you’re ready, I’m here.”

Gueira swallowed at the confident smile on Meis’ face. He could feel Meis’ faith in him, if that made sense. It made him feel strong, somehow, and he made a choice. 

“You know? I think I'm ready now,” he said. He put his hand on the one Meis left on his shoulder. Meis seemed surprised, but his hand still held firm. Gueira looked down again, still nervous even with all this, and said, “I don’t know if I’m gonna word this right, but I do want to be your business partner. But I want more too. I want to be your partner for everything… Honestly, I think I’m in love with you.”

Suddenly, they’re trapped in amber. There is no movement, no air, no sound of the air conditioner or the speakers. Just the late afternoon light and the hazy awareness of one another. Meis’ form swims in front of him, hand still anchored into Gueira’s shoulder like a lifeline.

Finally, Meis whispers. “You’re in love with me?”

Gueira nods, feeling the shyness creep back in. “Yeah. I know I am,” he corrects himself. 

Meis pulls his hand back, and Gueira’s is suddenly worryingly empty.But before he can stew in it, Meis springs backward, flopping back onto the floor. 

He’s laughing. His arms are spread wide and his laugh is airless and grateful. From the floor, Meis murmurs a “Thank god,” through grinning teeth. And then he shouts, filling Gueira’s ears with an unmistakable “I’m in love with you too!”

“Really?” Gueira feels the grin stretching his face already. He crawls onto his knees to get a better look at Meis’ expression. Meis has a hand draped over his eyes, but Gueira can see how red his cheeks are.

“Oh fuck, yes,” Meis peers at him from beneath his hand. “I wasn’t going to say anything because I didn’t want to make things weird. But I’ve liked you for ages.”

Gueira could barely breathe. “Ages?”

“Hm, wait, no, that makes me sound creepy, right?” Meis shuffled onto his elbows, looking at Gueira from below. “I wasn’t, like, preying on you or anything—“ 

“What? No, don’t take it back!” Gueira cried. “You just said you loved me, you jerk! Tell me all about how you’ve been in love with me forever!”

Meis laughed again. He reached out and took one of Gueira’s clenched fists in his own, lacing their fingers together. They fit together like a coin in a vending machine. “You’re so whiny,” Meis said.

“Patience has never been one of my strong suits. And I’ve been into you too long to start playing hard to get now,” Gueira said.

Meis sat up fully, hand still entwined with Gueira’s. “Good. I’ve chased you around enough for one day.” He kissed the joint of Gueira’s pointer finger and grinned.

“Eh, I’ve always been right here,” Gueira said. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you like shitty GueiMei doodles, check me out on Tumblr -https://seaturtlesadboy.tumblr.com/
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
